Labour and human rights groups in the US, Canada and Europe have accused the Bangladeshi government of repressing clothing workers after it tried to crack down on labour rights advocates leading public protests for better pay.

The groups say leaders of apparel workers organisations were last week forced into hiding to escape arrest and beatings.

But he isn't at home watching the matches. Instead, the 38-year-old New Jersey native has been in Indonesia, talking to the workers who make the Nike jerseys worn by nine of the teams in the tournament.

Tens of thousands of Bangladeshi garment workers demanding higher salaries were met with rubber bullets and tear gas during a recent protest ooutside Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh.

Garment workers are currently paid a minimum of just $24 a month following a 2006 agreement among manufacturers, unions and the government, but business is booming piling increasing amounts to work onto employees...

THE INDIAN seed industry, dominated by multinational companies, is a major employer of child labour, surveys have revealed. More than half a million children in India are growing cotton and vegetable seeds under hazardous conditions, including long working hours and exposure to pesticides.

June 9 (Bloomberg) -- Asian workers who stitch nearly all the world’s soccer balls have seen little improvement in lives dominated by poverty, a report said days before the start of the World Cup, which promises sports gear companies a sales bonanza.